This article is intended to give a brief overview of the steps claimants should take to prepare for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) at a local hearing office of the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
First and foremost, claimants and their representatives should make certain that all medical records from the period of disability have been submitted for the ALJ’s consideration in advance of the hearing. It is critical for the success of any claim for Social Security disability benefits that medical records from all treatment providers are part of the medical evidence of record so that the ALJ is able to obtain a complete picture of a claimant’s disabilities and resultant limitations. In addition to medical treatment notes, if a claimant has a treating doctor who has found the claimant’s medical conditions preclude his or her ability to work, a medical opinion from such a supportive doctor may be submitted as evidence of the claimant’s inability to work. A medical opinion can be provided in the form of a sworn declaration, an examination report, a medical treatment note, or a simple letter or physician’s statement.
Second, a disability claimant should arrange ahead of time to have a character witness attend the hearing. A character witness can be a spouse, sibling, former employer, pastor, counselor, social worker, neighbor, caregiver, landlord, or any other person that can attest to the claimant’s character and describe what effects he or she has observed that the claimant’s impairments have had on their functioning.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, a claimant should work with his or he attorney to prepare hearing testimony, which typically addresses a claimant’s work history, including how his or her last job ended, activities of daily living, and symptomatology. Preparing hearing testimony can help a claimant feel more at ease during the hearing and give more coherent, and therefore more additive, answers to any questions asked by the ALJ, a vocational expert, or a medical expert.
If you have an ALJ hearing scheduled in Colorado or elsewhere, Viner Disability Law can help. Please call our office to speak with one of our Social Security disability attorneys, each of whom can help assess your claim for benefits as well as help prepare you for and represent you in your ALJ hearing.
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